Another Netgalley Backlog today: The Spell Shop by Sarah Beth Durst.

This book offers a cosy atmosphere with slow-paced storytelling, set in a charming small town and featuring a sweet romance. Kiela returns to her childhood island home to reconnect with her roots after a tumultuous uprising, navigating her surroundings with her books and trusty spider plant.

The characters are warm and charming, and while I craved a bit more action, the gentle pace suits the cosy fantasy genre. I could easily see this as a delightful film, especially with the addition of adorable winged kittens that would add whimsical charm. Overall, it's a heartwarming experience filled with potential!

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I really enjoyed this! Cute, cosy, and very enjoyable, with interesting characters and an adorable central romance - definitely recommend!

Thank you to the publisher for my eARC copy of this book. Unfortunately I didn’t love this book and therefore didn’t finish, I just didn’t connect with this one. Not for me, sorry.

Si algún día les da por publicar un diccionario visual donde a cada género y subgénero de la literatura les pusieran una cubierta de un libro que siga todas las reglas del canon, no me cabe duda de que The Spellshop estaría entre los primeros de la lista para la fantasía cozy. Y es que lo tiene todo, un poquito de magia, romance, secundarios graciosos, un pequeño conflicto y malentendidos…


La protagonista es Kiela, una bibliotecaria que es feliz entre sus tomos antiguos, donde no tiene que lidiar con gente, ayudada por su asistente Caz, una planta-araña sintiente (ya he dicho que había magia). Pero todas sus perspectivas de un futuro igual de tranquilo que el presente se verán desbaratadas cuando la revolución llega a su ciudad y la biblioteca es pasto de las llamas. Kiela se verá obligada a huir a su antigua casa, en una recóndita isla, con la única compañía de Caz y los libros que ha conseguido salvar de la quema, aunque estos compendios mágicos no deberían haber salido nunca de allí, porque la magia está muy controlada fuera de los ámbitos académicos y la sola posesión de un tomo podría llevarla a la cárcel.

Kiela ha tenido una vida muy protegida siempre, así que tener que buscarse la vida para sobrevivir, prepararse la comida, limpiar la antigua casa de sus padres, le caerá encima como una ducha de agua fría en pleno invierno. Menos mal que allí estarán sus amables vecinos, que la recuerdan de cuando era pequeña, en especial su muy atractivo y servicial vecino de al lado, que se desvivirá por hacerle la vida más fácil (ya he dicho que había romance).

Los humanos de The Spellshop no dejan de ser bastante corrientes pero creo que uno de los puntos fuertes del libro son las criaturas fantásticas que pueblan todos los lugares, sacadas de cualquier compendio feérico que se precie, pero maravillosamente descritas y “humanizadas”, si me permitís el término. Centauros, dríadas, hipocampos… hay para elegir.

Me gusta especialmente la interacción de Kiela con Caz y con otro personaje que surgirá a lo largo de la lectura, Meep, que es simplemente enternecedor (ya he dicho que había secundarios graciosos). No es menos cierto que la historia es bastante lineal y la profundidad de los personajes tiende asintóticamente a cero, pero aquí hemos venido a que nos calienten el corazón y no cabe duda de que Sarah Beth Dust lo consigue de pleno con su primera novela.

This was so was dreamy! I loved it even more than I thought I would. It was such a cosy fantasy, filled with heartwarming characters and lovely moments. I loved the diversity with the different creatures in this story, and a special mention to the main sidekick! It was so cute, I really loved it.

I had a few questions about the magic, which I couldn’t quite oversee, which is why it’s a 4 star. There was also another plot thrown in at the end which I didn’t overly love, but it was a good book regardless!

I adored The Spellshop — so much so that I had ordered a hardcover edition long before I had finished with the e-ARC! This was such a delightful and cozy read, with unforgettable characters, a beautiful setting, and a well-crafted plot.

Kiela and Caz escape from their home in the Great Library when it is set on fire as part of a coup on the city in which the Great Library is found. Saving a precious number of magical books, they take to the sea and return to the island where Kiela grew up. There, her family home stands abandoned but it’s not long before Kiela and Caz have made it their own — and have attracted the attention of the island residents, who have mixed responses to Kiela and Caz’s presence. And it’s not long before another visitor to the island takes an interest in Kiela and Caz (and no, it’s not because Caz is a sentient and talking spider plant).

This was a beautifully cozy read which really transported me to the island and made me want to be part of Kiela’s jam (and spell) shop. The tree spirits, in particular, had me very emotional, and I loved all the magic, which was well considered and very much a part of the world as much as the characters were. There was a sweet, slow-burn romance (M/F) as well, and this was handled so gently. There is a bit of tension that arises within the novel but it doesn’t detract from the cozy atmosphere, and the way friends old and new band together to help Kiela is really poignant. I had tears in my eyes throughout the ending. Highly, highly recommended!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher, Tor, through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

this was so lovely! a whimsical and cozy fantasy that makes you want to curl up with a hot cup of tea in front of a fireplace. i need more of this kind of vibes, i'll definitely make sure to check out the next book that sarah beth durst is releasing!

Sarah Beth Durst has long been an author whose books I will pick up no matter what and The Spellshop did not disappoint.

The Spellshop is perfect if you've dreamed of escaping to a small village and living your best life in a cute cottage surrounded by magical creatures and nature. If you're looking for a read that feels like a hug filled with found family, magic and self discovery, this is it. With a heroine whose love of books and determination will win your heart and a spider plant who not only talks but will constantly put a smile on your face this book is utterly delightful.

With a focus on self-discovery and the everyday moments in life, The Spellshop is a slower paced read but it was never a bore. I loved reading about our MC discovering not only more about herself and her wants, but just how it is to survive in a land filled with magic in an home which has sat abandoned for years.

This was a gorgeous cosy fantasy romance, full of heart and warmth. I loved everything from the sentient spider plant to the gruff love interest - it was just all so readable and filled with hope. Absolutely gorgeous!

I absolutely loved this book! I loved the cozy fantasy, the talking plant, the adventure and ofcourse the slowly growing love between the FMC en MMC. I loved that there were things at stake, but in the end everyone pulled through and the FMC really was able to find her place in a changing world.

I very much enjoyed reading this book. It had so many wonderful, original things in it. I would definitely recommend reading this.

The sweetest, most cozy book I have read.
Such a comforting fantasy book.
And god how I wish I could live in this book with the shop, the jam, the man, the books, the plants.
Everything!

I adored The Spellshop, it was the right book at the right time. I was feeling low and this book distracted me and cheered me up without my noticing it until near the end.

World-building was good but the characters are where this book shone. I hope there are more in this universe so I can revisit the world and the feelings it stirred in me again!

Absolutely autumnal!

"The Spellshop" is a magical and autumnal story by Sarah Beth Durst and tells the story of Kiela.

Kiela, a librarian, loses her job and her home after a fire set by revolutionaries. Together with her companion, the talking plant Caz, the young woman finds her way back to the home she left as a child years later.

The cover alone invites you into a cozy story. And this time the cover lives up to its promise.

The immersion into the world was fantastic! I found the author's writing style very vivid, which made it easy for me to immerse myself in the world. And I immediately fell in love with Caltrey and its inhabitants.

Kiela is a very introverted person who finds it difficult to socialize properly with others. Her only friend is Caz and I found it heartwarming how she opened up to Larran and the other residents.

Even though the story has cozy vibes, I had to put it aside from time to time due to its small lengths in the plot. Nevertheless, I had some really enjoyable reading hours.

I give "The Spellshop" by Sara Beth Durst 4 out of 5 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

The author of The Spellshop wrote she wanted to write a book that reads like a warm hug, and she succeeded exactly in that.

I could barely put this book down. The Spellshop is a cozy, lovely, bright and fantastical story about rebuilding a home, about pastries, magical creatures. About a found family and accepting help even when you’re certain you can do it on your own.

I loved the characters, the relationships, how high the stakes felt while at the same time keeping that cozy feel. The banter was great, the magic was magical, and I’m sad I finished the book when I did.

Highly recommended for people looking for a cozy fantasy book.

Very cosy lowstakes fantasy, which I've discovered is maybe not my thing. I found it a bit too long, a bit too slow and I just found I wasn't that connected to the characters overall.

I did enjoy Caz and the overall message it was conveying was good. I think cosy fantasy fans will love it but it failed to engage me in the way I hoped it would.

Every home needs a little magic . . .

Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people, and as librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, she hasn’t had to.

She and her assistant, Caz, a sentient spider plant, have spent most of the last eleven years sequestered among the empire’s precious spellbooks, protecting the magic for the city’s elite. But a revolution is brewing and when the library goes up in flames, Kiela and Caz steal whatever books they can and flee to the faraway island where she grew up. But to her dismay, in addition to a nosy – and very handsome – neighbour, she finds the town in disarray.

The empire has slowly been draining power from the island, and now Kiela is determined to make things right. But opening up her own spellshop comes with its own risks – the consequence of sharing magic with commoners is death. And as Kiela starts to make a place for herself among the townspeople, she realizes she must break down the walls she has kept so high . . .

This is cozy fantasy romance at its peak! Also winged kittens eeeekkkk. I think that the imagery used in this book was perfect for setting that cottagecore scene and honestly it just made me feel super warm inside! I think this was the perfect character driven fantasy but the reason why it wasn’t 5 stars was because I wish the plot was a bit more high stakes. However I did think the slow burn romance was executed perfectly.

I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

I am a lover of cozy things and so, I love reading cozy books as well. But “The spellshop” did not do the thing for me. While I got excited about the idea and the plot, I got bored quickly. The plot dragged so so much, I had to skip some pages and that’s when I know I won’t like the book.

The plot is all over the place and it annoyed me. I didn’t know what I should expect next, but in a bad way. It has so many twists, it’s very political and it didn’t give me those cozy vibes because it wasn’t cozy. The characters drink tea, but I feel like that’s the only cozy thing they did. The real problems in this world took over the vibe of the book and I felt like I was reading a “normal” novel where the main character must save the world.

I couldn’t care about the characters. I found Keila really annoying for the first 50% of the book, I loved Caz, the male character didn’t shine for me. Also, I feel like it was insta love for him?
If the book was a cozy romance set in a small village, I would’ve liked it more. But the dangers of the world and the trauma behind these characters made me feel like I was reading an adult fantasy or something around that.

Loved the world building, with all the creatures and people and the vibes of the book. I loved the village and the villagers, but it wasn’t enough for me.

It was an ok book, easy to read when you don’t know what to start next. The atmosphere of the island is lovely and the small village is magical, everything that you need in a fantasy setting.

I loved everything about this book! The concept, the characters, the plot, the romance - just everything! One of my favourite reads of the year so far.

This was really good, I really enjoyed it and it definitely felt like a true cosy fantasy.

I would say if you liked legends & lattes you would enjoy this, however, I think a lot of people will not find the main character very likable, especially towards the beginning. But I found her extremely relatable and as long as you're happy to go along on the journey I think you'll be happy with it.

Her love of books is very obvious and great to see but it also wasn't her whole personality and the baking and love of nature was also great to read about.

Caz the spider plant was a great character and definitely had his own personality and felt so flushed out, <spoiler> the addition of meep was so unexpected and so fun, it was great to see them start to grow and develop who they are.</spoiler>

The friendships were great I really enjoyed everyone, the baker, the cloud bears, the plants, and everyone else too.

The sprinkle of romance was a nice addition and it was great the Laddon was a full person with his own things going on.

A little slow to start, and i didn;t love the cuteness of the ending but overall a solid 4 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers Pan Macmillan for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This endearing romantasy surprised me. Despite the simple formulas that Durst implies, this was a book that had me completely hooked. There's nothing brilliant or new about the story or the characters (save for a certain plant), and yet I couldn't put it down. I've seen this likened to a Disney movie, but in my experience, Disney movies have a much more defined villain. While there are antagonists, I don't feel like they are particularly bad or evil.

Overall, this was a sweet read in an intriguing universe, and I loved that the characters were all different species.